Psalm 107
Theme: This psalm teaches us to cry out to God in times of trouble, and
thank Him for His goodness.

(Delivered Sunday, March 17,
2002 at Bethany Bible Church. All scripture quotes, unless otherwise
noted, are from the New King James Version.)

INTRODUCTION

Dear brother or sister in Christ; your heavenly Father would like to
enter into an agreement with you.

As with most agreements, God has His part; and you have your part as
well. In this particular agreement, God promises just one thing that He
will do; and asks two things of you. But I believe that, when you see
what He promises to do, you'll be eager to do your part and enter into
this wonderful agreement with Him. Would you like to hear more?

The terms of this agreement are very simple, and they're found in Psalm
50:15. God says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you,
and you shall glorify Me." Look at this agreement very carefully. Do you
see God's part? God says that, "in a day of trouble" - that is, at a time
in which you are in desperate circumstances which are greater than your
ability to control - God promises to deliver you. Just think of what a
great offer this is! The almighty God - the sovereign King of the universe
who has made and now sustains all things - the all-wise, all-knowing,
all-powerful God of the universe, who loves you infinitely and is able
to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20)
- this very God gives you an unconditional guarantee: He will deliver
you in the day of trouble! He doesn't specify a particular kind of "day
of trouble"; but instead leaves this promise wide open. That's His part
of the agreement. Can you get a better offer than that?

But do you see your part? We would be glad for God to fulfill His part
of the agreement to us; but all too often we neglect to do our part of
it. There are two things that are being asked of you in this wonderful
agreement; and compared to what God is offering you, they are very reasonable
things to do. First, you must take the initiative to "call upon" God in
that day of trouble. You must make the first move by expressing your dependency
upon Him and cry out to Him. When you find that you're in a time of crisis,
or that you're trapped in a problem that you can't solve, or that you
are in a state of great need, your part of the agreement is to go to Him,
open your mouth in prayer, and call out to Him for help. And then, when
God has delivered you, you must do the second half of your part of the
agreement, and that is to "glorify" or "honor" Him. You must open your
mouth again and offer Him your praise and thanks. You must proclaim His
goodness so that others may hear. You must bear witness to what He has
done for you. You must declare the goodness and lovingkindness of the
God who delivered you.

Now to be honest, some folks would like to enter into a different agreement
with God. Some would prefer that God simply offered to keep them out of
the day of trouble altogether, so they'd never have a reason to cry out
to Him in the first place. But God does not offer such an arrangement
to us. Others would prefer that God would simply work on their behalf
to keep their troubles down to a manageable size, so they can handle things
in their own power and resources. But God doesn't offer that arrangement
to us either.

Like it or not, the promise of the Bible is that we will encounter the
day of trouble in our lives. Job said that "man is born to trouble" (Job
5:7). Jesus promised that in this world, "you will have tribulation" (John
16:33). God, by design, permits trouble to come into our lives; and we
cannot avoid it. But the good news is that all the troubles that He permits
remain continually under His sovereign control. They are custom-designed,
and tailored to keep us dependent upon Him and to help us grow. And He
promises that He will never allow us to be tempted or tested beyond our
ability; but will with the temptation provide a way of escape so that
we might be able to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13). He will keep His promise.
He will deliver us in the day of trouble. But He is looking to us to be
faithful and do our part. He is looking to us to call out to Him with
an attitude of dependency and trust, and to glorify Him for His goodness
in acting on our behalf.

* * * * * * * * * *

I believe that this wonderful agreement God offers to enter into with
us is what's behind Psalm 107. I'd like to draw your attention to this
psalm and introduce it to you; because I believe God gave it to us to
buttress our faith in the reliability of this wonderful agreement. I believe
He gave it to us as an encouragement to enter into this agreement with
Him.

This psalm follows two very interesting psalms - both of which testify
to God's faithfulness in delivering Israel in particular times of trouble.
Psalm 105 is a song of praise to God for His deliverance of the children
of Abraham from their bondage in Egypt. Psalm 105:42-45 says, "For He
remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant. He brought out His
people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands
of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, that they
might observe His statutes and keep His laws."

But Psalm 106 tells the sad story of how these same people repeatedly
disobeyed God. It tells the long story of how the people rebelled against
God while at the banks of the Red Sea (vv. 6-7); of how they complained
against God in the wilderness, lusting after meat (vv. 13-15); of how
they rebelled against Moses' authority (vv. 16-18), and bowed down to
the golden calf (vv. 19-20); of how they despised the land God promised
them (vv. 24-27); of how they joined themselves to the false god Baal
(vv. 28-31); of how they strove with God in their thirst for water (vv.
32-33); and of how they adopted the evil ways of the nations around them
(vv. 34-39). We read that God grew angry with them, and allowed them many
times to be delivered over to their enemies. But we read that "He regarded
their affliction, when he heard their cry; and for their sake He remembered
His covenant, and relented according to the multitude of His mercies"
(v. 44-45). We read that He did this when His people cried out "Save us,
O LORD our God" (v. 47).

Psalm 107, then, follows after these epic accounts of God's deliverance
of His people. It builds on the record of God's faithfulness to respond
to His people whenever they call out to Him for rescue. It begins with
these words:

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures
forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from
the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east
and from the west, from the north and from the south (vv. 1-3).

* * * * * * * * * *

Dear brother or sister; are you facing a time of trouble? Do you need
God's deliverance today? He invites you to enter into an agreement with
Him. He gives us, in His word, the record of His great faithfulness to
keep this agreement with all who enter into it with Him. He has never
failed those who truly cry out to Him, and who set their hearts to glorify
His name. He will fulfill His part of this agreement faithfully. Will
you fulfill yours?

Look carefully at this psalm and you'll see that ...

1. WE CAN CRY OUT TO HIM IN A TIME OF TROUBLE AND KNOW HE HEARS US.

There's a remarkable repetitiveness to this psalm. It tells four different
stories of people in times of trouble and distress; and in four verses,
we find the following statement repeated -almost word-for-word: "Then
they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out
of their distresses." We find this statement in verses 6, 13, 19 and 28.
This repeated affirmation is intended to assure us that we, like the poor,
troubled people in these stories, can cry out to God in our troubles,
with the absolute assurance that God hears us and will deliver us out
of them all. It's intended to assure us that, when we enter into this
wonderful agreement with God, He will faithfully do His part.

And what's more, God gives us this repeated affirmation in these four
different stories, to teach us that God is faithful to this agreement
in any kind of situation - concerning any kind of trouble.

Look at the first story God gives to us. It teaches us that God has kept
this agreement to those who have cried out to Him at a time when they
were desperately lost and helpless in the wilderness.

They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no
city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then
they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out
of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they
might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks
to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children
of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul
with goodness (vv. 4-9).

Perhaps this draws from the story of the people of Israel during their
wanderings in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. There they
were - vulnerable, hungry, thirsty, homeless, helpless. They didn't know
where to go. They didn't know what to do. Left to their own resources,
they would surely die. But they cried out to God in their day of trouble,
and He delivered them.

Have you ever felt like them? Do you feel that way now? Do you feel as
if you are wandering in a dessert land, with no idea what to do or where
to Go? Do you feel helpless and hopeless? Do you feel as if you are without
direction? God has a great record of rescuing those who "wandered in the
wilderness in a desolate way". He has heard the cry of all such wonderers;
and has faithfully led them forth by the right way; so that they might
go to a city for a dwelling place. And like them, He invites you to enter
into this agreement with Him. Cry out to Him in your day of trouble, and
He will deliver you.

* * * * * * * * * *

But perhaps you might be thinking, "Yes; God rescues people who are in
trouble who cry out to Him. Good people. Faithful people. Obedient people.
But I have disobeyed Him. I've rebelled against Him. I did what He told
me not to do; and now I'm suffering for it. I'm in the fix I'm in because
I wouldn't follow His instructions. I brought my own "day of trouble"
on myself because of my sinful rebellion against Him. I have no right
to ask God to rescue me."

And perhaps you're right that your own sinful rebellion has gotten you
into the fix you're in. Perhaps you dabbled too close to sin and fell
into its trap. Perhaps you're where you are because of the disciplining
hand of God. But even if that's true, I have good news for you. God's
mercy and goodness is great enough for you too. God offers to enter into
this agreement to you. Yes, even to you! The psalm goes on to say;

Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction
and irons - because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised
the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart
with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried
out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their
chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His
goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He
has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two (vv.
10-16).

Perhaps this is a reference to the troubles Israel brought upon themselves
because of their sins. Psalm 106:40-42 says that "the wrath of the LORD
was kindled against His people, so that He abhorred His own inheritance.
And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who hated them
ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought
into subjection under their hand." But it also says, "Many times He delivered
them" (v. 43). God never turns away those who cry out to Him - no matter
how many times they fail Him; and no matter how undeserving of recuse
they might be.

Are you in a "day of trouble"? And have you hesitated to cry out to God
because that "trouble" was a product of your own sin? Then wait no longer!
The promise of God's own word is that "where sin abounded, grace abounded
much more" (Rom. 5:20). Don't delay. Enter into this agreement with God.
He is ready to bring you out of darkness and the shadow of death, and
to break your chains in pieces - if you will but humbly confess your sin
and cry out to Him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Perhaps it wasn't so much "rebellion" and "wickedness" that brought you
into the day of trouble, as it was just plain old foolishness. Perhaps
you have bumbled and stumbled along thoughtlessly and unwisely. Perhaps
you've been walking on a path that leads to destruction for years, and
didn't even know it. Perhaps you believe that you wouldn't be in the fix
you're in if you hadn't been so stupid. Perhaps you think that there's
no hope for a fool. Perhaps your own carelessness and unwise choices have
caused you to suffer miserably. Perhaps you think that it's too late for
you.

But it's not. God holds out this wonderful agreement to all those who
have acted foolishly and unwisely. The psalm goes on to say,

Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities,
were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew
near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their
trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word
and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that
men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful
works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare His works with rejoicing (v. 17-22).

We're left to wonder what sort of a situation this might describe. But
I think that it's very instructive that we're told how God solved the
problem. "He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their
destructions." This makes me think of what it says in Psalm 32:8-9; "I
will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide
you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have
no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they
will not come near you."

Have you been like a horse or a mule? Has God had to put a bit and bridle
upon you - perhaps in the form of illness or affliction - because you
kept wandering foolishly into ways that lead to destruction? Have you
not been paying attention to His instruction in His word; and have you
been suffering as a result? Have you been going your own way, and seeking
to solve your problems through your own efforts; and have you been making
a greater and greater mess of things? Do you wish you could start over?
If so, then it's time to stop being so foolish. God holds this agreement
out to you. God promises to deliver you out of the day of trouble. The
first step is to repent of your foolishness and cry out to Him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Perhaps you are experiencing a day of trouble that has nothing to do
with any of these things. Perhaps you're cast about by circumstances that
are outside of your control - like a ship tossed at sea. Then this psalm
has something to say to you too.

Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great
waters, they see the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep.
For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves
of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the
depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and
stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end. Then they cry
out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.
He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad
because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh,
that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His
wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the
assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders
(vv. 23-32).

I can't think of a better picture of being utterly at the mercy of circumstances
outside one's control than that of a ship out on the sea, tossed about
in a violent storm. And look very carefully at these words and you'll
see something amazing. Verse 25 tells us that God "command and raises
the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea". In other words,
it's not a matter of being in a day of trouble because one is lost and
doesn't know the right way to go, or because of one's own sinful rebellion
against God, or because of one's own foolishness and disregard for God's
clear instructions for life. I say this very, very carefully; but this
appears to be a day of trouble that comes about only because God has willed
it to be so. It's a day of trouble that God sovereingly permits so that
we might have a reason to cry out to Him.

When I read this, I think of the story that Luke tells us about our Lord.
He said,

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with
His disciples. And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other
side of the lake." And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell
asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filled
with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him,
saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked
the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was
calm. But He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid
and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be? For he commands
even the winds and water, and they obey Him!" (Luke 8:22-25).

Dear brother or sister, think with me about this. Who commands the winds
and the waves of life? Doesn't our Lord control them? And if He permits
them, doesn't He do so in order to move us to cry out to Him? And isn't
He able to stop the storms of life as soon as they serve their divine
purpose?

I think it's instructive how many stories there are in the Gospels that
feature Jesus, His disciples, a boat, and a storm. There's something God
is trying to tell us in them. May I share another one with you? On a different
occasion, He sent His disciples away on a boat while He waited on the
shore. Then, the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. They were
straining at the oars and getting nowhere. That's when Jesus came out
to them, walking on the waves. They were very afraid; but He told them,
"It is I; do not be afraid" (Mark. 6:50). And we're told that "He went
up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased" (v. 51). What a picture!
As soon as Jesus came on board, the storm was over!

If you're feeling tossed about by a "storm" - that is, by circumstances
that are outside your control - then know that they're outside your control,
but not outside the Lord's control. The moment you cry out to Him, then
the very One who controls the storm enters into the boat with you. He
calms the storm when the time is right; and brings you safely to a haven
of rest. He invites you today into this agreement with Him: "Call upon
Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

* * * * * * * * * *

That leads me to a second thing I'd like to point out to you in this
psalm. It teaches us the second half of our part of the agreement ...

2. WE SHOULD THANK HIM FOR HIS GOODNESS AND HIS WONDERFUL WORKS.

Perhaps you've noticed that there is another affirmation that's repeated
four times. We find it, word-for-word, in each of these four stories.
The psalm says, "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" We find it in verses
8, 15, 21, and 31.

It's not enough, you see, to simply cry out to Him. He certainly desires
that from us, and it's a part of the agreement that we do so. But as you
recall, the full agreement reads as follows: "Call upon Me in the day
of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." This is the
intention of that second repeated phrase. Oh indeed! - That we, to whom
God shows such goodness, and to whom He displays His wonderful works,
would praise Him for what He does!

Oh, that we, whom God delivers from wandering in the wilderness in a
desolate way would praise Him! As this psalm says, "He led them forth
by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place" (v.
7). "He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness"
(v. 9). No one is lost who cries out to God.

Oh, that we, whom God delivers from the results of our own sinful rebellion
would praise Him! As we're told, "He brought them out of darkness and
the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces" (v. 14). "He has
broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two" (v. 16).
No gates or bars can imprison those who cry out to Him.

Oh, that we, whom God delivers from the foolishness of our own ways would
praise Him! As this psalm testifies, "He sent His word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destructions" (v. 20). Therefore, "Let them
sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing"
(v. 22). Not even our own foolishness can destroy us when we cry out to
our wise God.

Oh, that those He rescues from the storms of life would praise Him! "He
calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because
they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven" (vv. 29-30).
"Let them exalt Him also, in the assembly of the people, and praise Him
in the company of the elders" (v. 32). Indeed, all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according
to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

And I wonder; do these words remind you of a debt of thanks to God you
owe? Is He waiting for you to thank Him and give public testimony to the
way He has kept His end of this agreement toward you? Have you kept the
first part of the agreement with Him, but failed to keep the second? Oh,
that YOU would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful
works to the children of men!

* * * * * * * * * *

An agreement like this has a great strength and a great weakness. God,
who never fails, is its strength. We, who are often not paying attention,
is its weakness. This leads us, then, to a final thing we should learn
from this psalm ...

3. WE SHOULD OBSERVE HIS WORKS AND LEARN OF HIS GOODNESS.

This psalm closes off with two more stories that affirm the sovereign
strength of the God who offers this agreement to us. He here gives us
His credentials. First we're told,

He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;
a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of those who dwell
in it. He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings.
There He makes the hungry dwell, that they may establish a city for a
dwelling place, and sow fields and plant vineyards, that they may yield
a fruitful harvest. He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; and
He does not let their cattle decrease (vv. 33-38).

The mighty, sovereign God who makes this offer to us is able to turn
a paradise into a wasteland because of the wickedness of those who dwell
in it. But for those who cry out to Him, He is able to do the opposite
- and turn a wilderness into a paradise. He is more than able to help
those who cry out to Him. He is more than able to help you and me.

He is not only able to do this to the lands in which people dwell; but
He is able to do this to the people themselves. The psalm goes on to speak
of the wicked who oppress the poor, and say,

When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction
and sorrow, He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander
in the wilderness where there is no way; Yet He sets the poor on high,
far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock. The righteous
see it and rejoice, and all iniquity stops its mouth (vv. 39-42).

This almost sounds like that first of those four stories; doesn't it?
We know that He is able to rescue those who wander in the wilderness in
a desolate way; because He is able to take princes and the mighty people
of the earth - those who "diminish" and "bring low" the poor "through
oppression, affliction and sorrow" - and "cause them to wander in the
wilderness where there is no way". But He is able to do the opposite for
the poor who cry out to Him - that is, set them on high, far from affliction,
and make their families prosper.

The history of God's dealings with man prove that this is so. He is able
to come marvelously to the rescue of those who cry out to Him. He is teaching
this lesson all around us, if we will pay attention to it. And so, the
psalm closes with these words:

Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand
the lovingkindness of the LORD (v. 43).

* * * * * * * * * *

Dear brother or sister, this wonderful agreement is being offered to
you today. Will you accept its terms? Will you do embrace God's offer
to you, in whatever situation you're facing? God will be true to His part
of this agreement. Will you be true to yours? He says, "Call upon Me in
the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

Will you enter into this agreement with Him today? Will you fulfill your
part of it?